Authors' Associations: Difference between revisions
Created page with "=== Definition === Authors' associations were formed by people campaigning for the working and financial rights of authors.<ref name=":0">Robinson, Solveig C. ''The Book in Society : An Introduction to Print Culture''. Peterborough, Broadview Press, 2014. </ref> Authors turn to these associations for advice and support in their publishing journey. In this sense, these associations function much like literary agents, but the services and help they provide authors is v..." |
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Revision as of 19:48, 5 December 2025
Definition
Authors' associations were formed by people campaigning for the working and financial rights of authors.[1] Authors turn to these associations for advice and support in their publishing journey. In this sense, these associations function much like literary agents, but the services and help they provide authors is very different.
One of the oldest foundations is called the Society of Authors, and they offer writers help with, "...contracts and other professional negotiations... also awards a number of literary prizes and administers the Authors' Foundation, which is charged with making grants to working authors."[1]
History
The Society of Authors is one of the oldest associations in existence, established in London in 1884 by Walter Besant. His goal was, "...to improve the status and financial conditions of the profession of writing," one such project that accomplished this goal was the reform and defense of copyright law.[1] After this association was successfully founded in London, countries outside the United Kingdom also began creating their own foundations to help authors more locally. The Authors Guild was originally established in 1912 as the Authors League of America, and offers educational resources for authors. More recently, the Authors Guild defended (albeit unsuccessfully) author rights from the Google Books project.[2] They are also responsible for blocking the infamous merger between two large publishing houses on the basis that it would create a monopoly within the publishing market.[3]
While there are associations focused on countries, there are also associations that focus genre-specific writers, such as the Romance Writers of America (RWA), Sisters in Crime (mysteries), and the Horror Writers Association. These genre-focused associations help new authors navigate the niche they want to pursue, as well as provide statistics about how certain tropes perform within that genre.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Robinson, Solveig C. The Book in Society : An Introduction to Print Culture. Peterborough, Broadview Press, 2014.
- ↑ Brooke, Rachel. “Fair Use Week 2023: Looking Back at Google Books Eight Years Later.” Authors Alliance, 24 Feb. 2023, www.authorsalliance.org/2023/02/24/fair-use-week-2023-looking-back-at-google-books-eight-years-later/.
- ↑ Carvajal, Doreen. “Authors Guild Tries to Block Proposed Merger of 2 Publishers.” The New York Times, 27 Apr. 1998, www.nytimes.com/1998/04/27/business/authors-guild-tries-to-block-proposed-merger-of-2-publishers.html.
